Trolley-pole.



Patented Dec. 23, I902.

T. C. BUDER. TRDLLEY POLE.

(Application filed. Dec. 18, 1901.)

(llo Modal.)

ZV'VIJVITOR OFFICE.

THEODORE C. BUDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TROLLEY-PO LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,376, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed December 18, 1901. Serial No. 86,342. (No model.)

To all who-1w it IN/(by concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE C. BUDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, am the original, true, and sole inventor of certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Poles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same.

The use of trolley-poles in connection with electric railways is well understood, and it is also well known that one of the most serious drawbacks to their use is obstructions of various kinds which are met with by the pulley on the end of the trolley-pole on the trolleywires. The result of the pulley meeting with obstructions on the trolley-wire is very frequently to throw the same out of contact with the trolley-wire, whichcauses the trolley-pole to spring up and sometimes break a trolleywire hanger or cause other damage and at least to cause loss of time in railway service because of the interruption in the flow of power.

With the object of overcoming these and other objections myinvention provides means for maintaining a more constant connection between the trolley-pole and the trolley-wire, as the means which I shall hereinafter describe is adapted to ride over all smaller obstructions on the wire and in a manner yet more fully to be explained overcome more serious impediments to its progress.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, showing it attached to the trolley-pole and running along a smooth part of the trolley-wire. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the rollers overcoming an obstacle. Fig. 3 shows the same in the act of turning in the direction indicated by the arrow in order to pass a more serious obstruction. Fig. 4 shows both rollers again running on the trolley-wire after overcoming theobstruction shown in Fig. 3 by completing the turn indicated as just begun in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of my device when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 6 is a side view of a split washer used in my device. Fig. 7 is an end or edge view of the same.

1 is the trolley-wire, 2 the trolley-pole, and 3 indicates the forked end of the latter.

In ordinary construction of trolley-poles but one pulley or roller is provided at the'end thereof; but in my construction I preferably have two rollers or pulleys, which run along the trolley-wire, as indicated by 4 and 5 in Fig. 1. When the rollers 4 and 5 have progressed along the wire until the roller 5 strikes the kink or obstacle 6, even if the roller 5 becomes dislodged from the wire, so that in ordinary practice the trolley -.pole would be thrown off the wire, with its attendant delays and other bad results, the roller 4 will still run smoothly on the trolley-wire and maintain a perfect contact with the same and prevent the flow of electrical current from being interrupted. The roller 5 is maintained in a straight line ahead of roller 4, because of the fact that they are connected by the plates 7, of which there are twoone 011 each side of the rollers. The rollers are attached to and held between said plates 7 by the pintles 8. In the progress of the rollers along the trolley-wires by the time the roller 4 reaches the obstruction 6 the roller 5 will have gone beyond said obstruction and have securely reseated itself on the wire I, so'that it will maintain the necessary contact and electrical connection while the roller 4 may be disengaged from the wire. The roller 9 is carried below the two operative rollers until such an obstacle is met with on the wire that the roller 5 is unable to surmount it, such as the object indicated at 10, Fig. 3. When such larger obstruction, such as that indicated by 10, is met, the following transformation of the de vice takes place: As the rollers 4, 5, and 9 are all attached to and turn between the pair of plates 7, said plates and said wheels or rollers, with their connecting-pintles, form substantially a separate revoluble piece, which is pivoted in the arms of the trolley-fork 3 by the pin 11. The pulley or roller 5 being unable to pass the obstruction 10, said obstruction acts as a fulcrum to throw the pair of triangular plates 7 over, and said pulley 5 being rigidly attached to said plates theresult is that pulley-4 leaves the trolley-wire 1, as indicated in Fig. 3, and begins to turn in the direction shown by the arrow in said Fig. 3, and the roller 4 does not stop its turning motion in connection with the pair of plates 7 until roller 9 seats itself upon wire 1 and becomes one of the two operative pulleys shown in Fig. 4, while roller 4, formerly operative, now assumes the inactive position theretofore occupied by roller 9. If another similar obstruction be met with, the pair of plates 7 will revolve again on the pivot 11 and cause roller 5, Fig. 4, to assume the inactive position previously occupied by rollers 9 and 4 successively, and so on. When the movable member formed of the pair of plates 7,&c. ,is turning,asjust described and as illustrated in Fig. 3, said movable member or pair of plates 7 turns at one and the same time upon two pivotsnamely, upon the pivot 11, running through the arms of the trolley fork,and also upon pin S,forming the pivot for the roller 5. There are thus a plurality of axes within the movable member, on both of which the movable member turns at the same moment while making the turn illustrated in Fig. 3. Due to the fact that roller 5 is held stationary bv the obstruction 10 While said turn is being made the pivot 8 is also stationary during the same period of time, and by means thereof there is formed a leverage-point located within said movable member, said leverage-point being the roller 5, stopped by the obstruction 10, and same being pivotally connected to the movable member by the pivot 8, so that when the onward pull of'the trolley-pole tends to take the roller 4 from the wire the roller 5, in conjunction with the obstruction 10, is a fulcrum to throw the movable member over, the ease and speed of which turn is increased because the movable member is pivotally connected by the pin 8 with the roller 5.

The essential features of my device are a plurality of wheels, rollers, pulleys, or similar means, a pivoted revoluble member carrying same, and a trolley-pole to bring them into operative connection between a trolleywire and a trolley-car.

As a detail of construction for the purpose of insuringperfect electrical connection between the different parts of my device I have provided split washers 12, having openings 13, through which the pin 11 runs, said washers having lips 14, bent outwardly from their inner portion. These washers may be of any desired form, their essential characteristic, however, being that they shall forin'a resilient connection between the forks 3 and the plates 7 and again between said plates 7 and the rollers 4, 5, and 9. The location of these washers, as just stated, will be clearly seen in Fig. 5. As another detail of construction for the purpose of maintaining the plates 7 in a fixed relation to each other I may providea sleeve 15, which encircles the pin 11 and is secured in said plates 7 by the projections 16 on its ends.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trolley-pole, the combination of a forked end, a member composed of triangular plates pivoted thereto and revoluble within same, a roller pivoted at each angle of said plates and located between said plates, resilient pieces between the arms of the fork and the plates and between the plates and the rollers, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley-pole the combination of a forked end, a pintle extending from one arm of said fork to the other, a movable member com posed of triangular plates bearing rollers at their angles, said plates being spaced by a sleeve encircling said pintle, and extending from one of said plates to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto attached my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of December, 1901.

THEODORE C. BUDER.

Witnesses:

HUGH K. VVAGNER, FAY CHAMBERLAIN. 

